Chapter 10: Intellectual Disabilities

By Staci Gilpin, Ph.D.

A 2020  public opinion poll from the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities regarding attitudes that Minnesotans hold toward persons with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) showed improved attitudes about supporting families, school inclusion, and the right to vote in the last 58 years. The published results indicate areas of positive change, as well as areas that are of ongoing concern. These results are unsurprising, as the education of children with ID has positively changed over the past decades. Much of the success achieved by people with ID is attributed to shifts in the design of supports in schools and communities, emphasizing self-determination and using natural supports (e.g., smartphones, family/friends, and organizations such as “Best Buddies.”), with a focus on their many strengths (MN Department of Education, n.d.).

Another impactful change that the field has undergone involves terminology. In 2012, federal legislation officially shifted from the term “mental retardation” to “intellectual disabilities,” which is deemed to be more accurate: the earlier term is often used to refer to emotions, for example, “mental illness.” The latter term more accurately describes the limitations of this group of individuals around intellectual functioning/cognition (Vaughn & Bos, 2020).

Yet, Emily Ladua  (2022), a disability rights advocate, asserts that even though the term mental retardation has been removed from federal legislation, some people still use the term or shortened versions such as “retard” and “retarded.” These terms are considered slurs and are hurtful to people with ID, regardless of how the words are used or intended. Some states (including Minnesota) still do not use the term ID; they use Developmental Cognitive Disability (DCD) or another derivative. Despite being encouraged to replace all references to mental retardation and its derivatives quickly, some state offices have not changed the less offensive term in their legislation and documents. There continues to be considerable disagreement amongst professionals about definitions, classification, and terminology.

Before going any further, pause and listen to the lived experience of someone with an ID. Emily Ladua told me at a speaking engagement a few years ago that, as a teacher educator, the best thing I could do for my pre-service teachers in the area of special education is to have them listen, read, and view as many lived experiences of people with disabilities as possible. Thus, with that, I would like to introduce Loretta Claiborne. Loretta is a world-class runner and gifted motivational speaker who identifies as a Black woman with an intellectual disability. As a result of her intersecting identities, Loretta was bullied when she was younger and often got into fights. However, after becoming involved in the Special Olympics, she uses that platform to demonstrate what she can do. With that, she is helping change attitudes toward people with ID. Take a moment and view Loretta’s TED Talk (2012).

Let’s Talk About Intellectual Disabilities 

Note. From TEDxMidAtlantic.